The Avengers! What's Next?
by RZQ
Summary: Story of the lives of all the Avengers. Happens after Thor: The Dark World and up on till Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Rated M for mature content and D for Drama. Tony/Pepper, Bruce/Betty, Thor/Jane, Steve/Agent 13, Natasha/Clint, Loki/Darcy.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay Guys! I'm obviously new at this so kindly help out with reviews and comments.**

**DISCLAIMER! I own no part of the Marvel Avengers characters. I am an incredibly huge fan though!**

Chapter 1

**TONY & PEPPER**

Pepper Potts stared straight into the eyes of the man seated across from her at the huge desk in the boardroom. There were at least seven men seated around the desk and their supervisor was directly opposite her. This was the third meeting like this she had held this past week in the boardroom of the CEO's floor at the Stark Tower. They were all representatives and agents from different high ranking organizations and Government agencies laying one complaint or the other about Tony Stark, Iron Man or the Stark conglomerate in general. Pepper was exhausted but she had to hide her exhaustion behind ice cold piercing blue eyes and a hard stern look. She did this at every meeting because apart from laying their complaints they also seemed to be sneering at her, mocking her and deriding her abilities to be the best CEO Stark Industries needed at the moment. She didn't care. She was used to everyone treating her like she didn't belong in the CEO's chair. Truth is, she was the CEO and they all had to deal with it. After addressing what their issues were they were all dismissed and she calmly walked back to her office, Natalie Rushman, her personal assistant behind her, files in hand.

All she could think about was how exhausted she was. She wasn't eating or sleeping right and she was overworked. She blamed Tony for everything she was going through. But how can you blame someone you care so deeply about, someone who you decided to save because you didn't believe they could save themselves, someone you knew needed you badly personally and professionally? How can? After Loki's little stint at ruling the world in New York several months ago Tony hadn't quite been himself. After he destroyed all his Iron Man suits because of her last Christmas he had gone on to begin rebuilding them all over again. He needed a hobby, he had tried to explain. Pepper laughed to herself when she remembered how cute he had looked when he said it. He was clearly obsessed with defending the world with his suits and anything else he could think of. He began to develop new ways to make his suits indestructible. This time they would be the best most technologically advanced suits the world and beings from other worlds had ever seen. For a while now he had been trying to persuade Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D to bring together all the members of the Avengers to come together for a special project. She didn't know exactly what it was because of late Tony had been keeping his work with S.H.I.E.L.D to himself. But she knew it had something to do with defending the world from any more potential extra-terrestrial threats.

Sometimes she was so worried about him it literally knocked the air out of her lungs. Sometimes she was so worried about herself for worrying about him. Tony was the most reckless, arrogant, inconsiderate and rash man she had ever met and she knew worrying about him was futile because he would never change. Nevertheless she could not stop herself from worrying about him. She knew him and she knew that beneath his unconcerned and carefree exterior was a lonely sad man in need of someone to understand him. She did understand him and she had been there for him numerous times but Tony had a reputation of bringing disaster to himself and those around him very frequently. The honest truth was that being with Tony was more of a curse than it was a blessing. In the beginning she hadn't complained because she thought she understood what it entailed. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore_. I can't die because of Tony_, she thought to herself, _I just can't_. She glanced down at her _Cartier_ wristwatch. "5:30pm." She said. Suddenly she knew what she wanted to do. It was Thursday and she had only very few meetings planned for tomorrow. She buzzed Natalie into her office and asked her to cancel any appointments she had the next day. "And please tell Happy that I'll be leaving town tonight so he should be prepared." She said, beginning to clear her desk. "Should he call for the jet?" Natalie asked. "Oh no. It's a road trip." Pepper said looking up at Natalie. "A road trip?" Natalie asked befuddled and surprised. Pepper smiled. "Yes Natalie. Is there a problem?" Natalie regained her composure obviously embarrassed for letting her emotion show. "Oh no Ma'am. There is no problem. I'll tell him." She said walking towards the door. "And oh please tell him I'll be stopping at home to pack a bag." Pepper added. "Alright." Natalie replied before she stepped out.

Pepper arrived at the house just in time for Tony's surprise dinner. "Hey Ginger!" he called out smiling. Pepper was getting tired of his numerous nick names for her. He was dressed in an impeccable blue suit, white shirt and a red tie with the coolest shoes Pepper was sure she had ever seen a man wear. There were about a thousand red roses arranged within the entire living room area all the way to the exclusive dining room Tony used to entertain only fellow billionaires, movie stars or high standing political personalities. "Tony what the hell is going on here?" Pepper asked, more mortified than pleasantly surprised. "It's your surprise dinner babe! Your favourite Italian chefs are tearing up the kitchen." He announced proudly producing a sexy red dress for her. "Now all you need is to take a shower, put this slinky number on and we're gonna have dinner. Just the both of us."

"I'm sorry. Is today the fourth of July? Or is it Valentine's day? Please remind me what day it is? I mean what in heaven's name are we celebrating?" She sarcastically asked, walking past him and the dress he was holding towards the bedroom. He followed her, dress still in hand. "Potts don't be like that. Must it be Valentine's for me to throw my lady a lavish dinner? You know I flew in those chefs from Milan right?" He said feeling defeated. Pepper could feel the level of exhaustion in her increasing instantly. She didn't want to deal with Tony and his drama tonight. "Honey I'm not feeling Italian tonight. I'm feeling my mom's potato salad and apple cider." She said, pausing briefly to look at him, "And quite frankly that's where I'm headed right about now. I only dropped by to pack a bag. I'll be gone for the weekend." Tony's face fell. "What? You're going to Albany tonight?" He asked. "Yes Tony. I miss my mom. And I really need to hurry if I wanna beat traffic on the highway. It's a two and a half hour ride you know?" She said pulling out a small Gucci travel case and throwing some random items into the suitcase. Tony was dumb. She stopped briefly to dial a number on her phone. "Hi ma. You're okay? I'm coming over tonight. Should be home by 10pm. Just gonna pack a little bag and I'll be heading out shortly. Okay ma. See you soon." She continued to pack. Tony was just standing there unable to speak. "Pepper I'm sorry." Tony said his head bowed low. "For what?" She asked with a sweet smile, moving around him to her drawer set. "I don't know what I've done this time." He said making his puppy dog face again. Pepper laughed.

"Tony you haven't done anything. I just need a break from work for a while. And like I told you, I miss my ma." She said zipping up her small suitcase and looking around to see if she was forgetting anything. "Thanks for the gesture Tony. It's really sweet. I'm sure dinner would have been splendid. It's just that I need a break this weekend." She explained. "A break from work or a break from me?" He asked. Pepper was taken aback. She faked a laugh. "A break from work of course." She said, planting what she hoped was a convincing kiss on his cheek. Tony didn't know what to say. He looked disappointed. "Oh don't look so sad Tony. I'll be back in time for work on Monday. I promise." She said flashing a fake smile and putting her arms around his neck and her fore head on his head. He held her close. "Okay. Be safe. Have fun with your mom. I'd like to meet her sometime." He said. Pepper smiled and kissed him, before pulling her suitcase out of the room, picking up her purse and walking into the sleek black Acura that was waiting at the front door. "Ready Boss?" Happy asked. "Yes Happy. Let's get out of here." She said, the fake smiles disappearing from her face.

Pepper knew she couldn't deceive Tony. He was too smart for that. Heck, he was the smartest man she had ever met. But these days being around him was raising her blood pressure she was sure. And she didn't know if she was doing a good job hiding it anymore. She loved him but she often wondered if he loved himself. Not to talk of her. She just needed a break, she tried to tell herself in explanation for all the confusing feelings going on in her head about Tony. As the car pulled into the high way she realized all she could think about was Tony, and the recent events of the evening_. Why does he keep thinking he has to impress me with surprises and expensive gifts like I'm a blonde airhead who has a crush on Iron Man? _She thought to herself. _Almost a thousand red roses? Flying in chefs from Milan?_ It was as if Tony was desperately trying to make up for something wrong he had done. _No Tony. You haven't done anything to me. Just stay alive while you're trying to save the world. That's all I'm asking. _She didn't realize that a tear had rolled down her cheek. She looked out the window embarrassed hoping Happy hadn't caught that in the rear view mirror. She knew she was a terrible liar. Even her mother knew that Pepper only visited when the workload was beginning to overwhelm her. It was not that she missed the woman, as she had told Tony. Her mind hovered over the question Tony had asked her again and again. "_A break from work or a break from me_?" The sad truth, she admitted, was that she was taking a break from Tony. Being in his world was beginning to choke the life out of her. She didn't know how much more she could take. There was a big gorge in their relationship and it was widening every day.

Mrs. Olivia Potts lived in a small cottage built on an orchard that belonged to her late husband. The orchard still had rows and rows of apple trees and grew all sorts of vegetables. It was managed by her five hardworking staff who had been with her for years. They ensured the orchard stayed in business after Pepper's father had passed. At exactly ten minutes to 10pm, Happy and Pepper arrived at the cottage. Anytime she came home Pepper went back in time to when she was fifteen coming back home from school to the smell of baked apples and sweet ginger ale. That smell never went away. Pepper walked into the house and went straight to the kitchen where she was sure she would find her mother, Happy behind her with her suitcase. As she expected her mother was in the kitchen discussing with her farm manager. "Hi Ma." She said casually. "Virginia Pepper Potts." Mrs. Potts said smiling at her daughter and walking up to give her a hug. Mrs. Potts was a small woman with short white hair which has once been red and large blue eyes like Pepper's. She was the older version of Pepper. They both began to talk at the same time ignoring the farm manager and Happy who were both standing there like they didn't exist. After about ten minutes of non-stop catching up, the ladies dismissed the men and Pepper went in to take a shower and come right back down to the kitchen where a small bowl of Pepper's favourite potato salad and apple cider were waiting for her on the table. "I'm not hungry ma. Moreover it's kind of late." Pepper said. "Nonsense! Potatoes don't tell time honey! Eat up, you're a bag of bones. At this rate you will never bear me any grandkids. You have no flesh on those hips Pepper." Mrs. Potts said, matter-of-factly. Pepper laughed. She knew she could never win an argument with her mother so she started to eat. As soon as she took her first bite she smiled. _The simple goodness of life. Yes Tony, I'd rather have my ma's old recipe of potato salad than have you fly in Italian chefs to make me dinner in the midst of a thousand roses, _she thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Your reviews are highly appreciated guys! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

**BRUCE & BETTY**

Nick Fury sternly regarded Betty Ross through his one good eye. "Are you sure?" He asked her. "Yes Director Fury." She replied. "And you are sure there will be no issues working with Dr. Banner on this project?" He asked again. "No." She replied. The first question had been if she had any remaining loyalties to her father, General Ross. Ever since she came in to the S.H.I.E.L.D experimental facility in New York yesterday for her first meeting with the Director, she had been treated like a mercenary; a traitor and an accomplice to her father's schemes. After everything she wondered why she had even agreed to do this. She wondered why she had allowed Bruce talk her into coming in to work on this project for S.H.I.E.L.D, the organization who turned her father into an obsessed lunatic, ruined her life and the life of the man she loved. Anyway that was a long time ago. She had put the past behind her and forgiven her father. Only she never wanted to see him again for the rest of her life. Neither did she want to have anything to do with him. Bruce on the other hand, she didn't know how to react to. She thought about him every day. She wished things had turned out differently between them both. She tried to put him out of her life forever and move on. But she couldn't. Whenever she seemed to take one step forward, she took two steps back. She tried to date other men but that didn't work, she tried to start a gardening blog which failed woefully, she tried to take another degree in marine biology but no University in Virginia wanted to accept her application after the events that turned Bruce into the Hulk were publicized. After what seemed like forever, she decided to try out cosmetic surgery and change her identity. Everyone knew her as General Thaddeus Ross' daughter. Her identity was her curse because of her father's failures and her personal defeats in her professional life. Thankfully after the most uneventful period of her life, she got a job working as a lab attendant in a small Pathology firm in Quantico. There she kept her head down and tried to rebuild her life. For the next one year everything seemed stable.

She thought about the events of the previous two weeks. One day she got back home exhausted to find a random email on her computer from someone claiming to be Bruce. She was disgusted. Someone who knew who she was had discovered her personal email and was trying to play pranks on her. She deleted the email and forgot all about it. Two days later she received another email from the same person with a phone number attached to it. She was livid. Why were human beings such animals sometimes? After all she had gone through in her young life couldn't people just leave her alone to wade in her misery by herself? The following day a third email came in. This time it had details of her personal life with Bruce, details no one but herself and Bruce had shared. _That's it!_ She thought angrily, _I'm calling this fool and telling him off! _She called the number and when she heard the voice on the other end of the line her heart skipped a beat. "Who is this?" She demanded, uncertainly at first. The man laughed. "Lady you called me and you're asking who it is?" He said. Familiarity washed over her but she refused to believe it could actually be Bruce. "I only called because some insensitive fool has been sending me emails pretending to be someone he is not and left this number in one of his emails. I just want to tell you it's not funny and it's not fair. So back off Mister!" She said angrily. There was a pause at the other end of the line.

"Betty?" He asked. "Who is this?" She replied after a while. "Betty it's me, Bruce." He said. She was confused but she knew the voice. It was hard to forget. "Bruce?" She called. "Betty, this line is not secure." He said, "We need to meet. I'll email you where to meet me and when." He said. She was speechless. Could it really be Bruce? There was silence at her end. "Betty? Did you hear me?" He said. Her mind flooded back to the times they had shared together. All the times Bruce had made her happy. He was the sweetest smartest most intelligent and loving man she had ever known. Her father felt he was a weakling but she saw him differently. She gave him her heart because he was the only man that truly cared for her. He loved her and all he did, he did for her protection. When she messed up especially at work, he would call her aside, take her hand and say, "Don't feel bad Betty. You'll get it right next time. Betty? Did you hear me?"

There was no mistaking it. This was Bruce. "Betty? Betty? Did you hear me?" He asked again, wondering about her silence. "I heard you Bruce. But how did you, I mean how did you find me?" She asked. "I'll email you Betty. For now we can't talk here." He said. She did exactly as he said and dropped the phone. That night she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned wondering where he could be and how he had found her. She had heard about the incident in New York and saw the destruction that had happened. Some people said it was an extra-terrestrial invasion. Some others said it was an act of terrorism. One thing was for sure. The Hulk had been one of the people in the team sent to save New York at the time. They had called them the Avengers. Sounded to her like something S.H.I.E.L.D would whip up. Everyone said the Hulk was a brute beast, a savage monster. But she knew better. He was her Bruce. The man she loved.

True to his words, Bruce sent the email the next day. He asked her to meet him in a small coffee shop outside the city. She had been to the place before. It was close to an old cemetery and Betty had asked herself why it was so far away from everything. Throughout that day she was a mess at work. She couldn't concentrate or get anything right. Her mind kept going back to Bruce. Was he hurt? Had he finally found a way to isolate the Hulk DNA from his human DNA? Was he in some sort of trouble? She couldn't think. Finally her boss called her into his office asking if she was feeling well. She lied she had been sick over the weekend and thought she could shake it off today at work but apparently it was still weighing her down. Miraculously he gave her the rest of the day off and let her leave early. She kept thinking though. Could it really be Bruce? Or was it an impostor from her past trying to trick her? All sorts of questions attacked her mind the whole day. Getting back to her apartment, she dressed modestly in a blue blouse, beige coloured jacket, blue jeans and ballet flats. She pulled her dark brown hair into a neat ponytail and regarded herself in the mirror. _Bruce? Can it really be you?_ She thought about the last time she had seen him. That was when he had defeated the Abomination, a result of her father's experiment on the soldier Emil Blonsky. That was almost eighteen months ago. At about 4:30pm, she headed out. It would take her at least twenty minutes to get to the coffee shop by train and she didn't want to be late since he had asked her to meet up by 5pm.

Bruce had already arrived at the coffee shop and chose a seat at the far left corner of the shop. He ordered a black coffee and waited for her. As she approached the coffee shop he saw her and froze. She had never been more beautiful and nostalgic feelings began to wash over him again. When she arrived, she walked into the little coffee shop and regarded the place. Then her eyes met with Bruce's where he was seated and her mouth fell open. Bruce stood up and looked at her. He didn't know whether to smile or keep a straight face but before he could decide, Betty had reached his seat and was hugging him non-stop. Suddenly she began to cry. "Bruce! Oh Bruce." She said as she hugged him and cried on his shoulder. He held her and breathed in her familiar scent. He had missed her so much. After a while he offered her a seat and wiped her eyes.

She just kept staring at him. "Bruce," She said, "How are you? How did you find me? Where have you been? When did you get to Virginia? How did you know I was here? I'm sorry I'm crying. I'm being such a wreck today." Bruce laughed and held her hand. "It's okay Betty. I'll answer all your questions. I knew you wouldn't believe it was me trying to get across to you." He said. "Coffee?" He asked. "Yes please. Black!" She said. So she still enjoyed her coffee black, he thought. They both did. After her coffee had arrived, they began to talk. Bruce looked deep into her eyes. He could see loneliness, sadness and regret. She told him about the unfortunate events of her last few months and her new job at the Lab. She explained to him that after a while she had to stop trying to search for him because she was sure her father was monitoring every activity she took online. She said she had feared for his safety. Bruce held her hand tighter. He could identify with what she had said. It seemed he had also spent the last few months running and hiding from her father and several government agencies, especially S.H.I.E.L.D. "Bruce I saw you in, I mean I saw the Hulk in New York. On TV. You helped those guys during the extra-terrestrial invasion right? The Avengers? Isn't that what they're called?" She asked. She seemed to have a thousand questions for him and he was patient enough to answer every one of them. "Betty that's why I asked you here. I wanted to talk to you about something." He said. "It was you Bruce, wasn't it?" She impatiently asked. "Yes Betty it was. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D now." He said. She stared at him, the look of fear and horror suddenly came over her face. "What? How could you work for S.H.I.E.L.D Bruce? You do know that they will destroy you, right?" She blurted, "Bruce, they can never be trusted!"

Bruce had to calm her down and explain everything to her beginning with how the Agent Natasha Romanoff had been sent to extract him from India. And how Loki, an embittered Asgardian Prince had sent an army of extra-terrestrial warriors to take over the world using the energy source from Tony Stark's Stark Tower in Manhattan, New York and another incredibly powerful intergalactic relic known as the Tessaract. It all seemed too incredible to Betty to believe but because the story was coming from Bruce she had to believe it. He explained to her how the intergalactic energy force, the Tessaract had been returned to Asgard and how Tony Stark had convinced the Director at S.H.I.E.L.D that they needed to come up with a super weapon that could combat any other potential extra-terrestrial attacks on the world. "Tony suggested we try everything. Including gamma radiation, Betty." He said. Betty's eyes popped open. "Again? Don't you ever learn Bruce? It's too dangerous. You can't use gamma radiation. No one has been able to have its energy neutralized. It will kill you all this time!" She yelled. He tried to calm her down again. "Can't they try manipulating nuclear energy sources? Tony Stark is an expert on that isn't he?" She asked. "Betty we are trying everything we possibly can try, everything!" He explained. "Even Erik Selvig is on ground. He was also called in to help out. Everyone is working on this, Betty."

"Erik Selvig? Wherever he is, Jane Foster wouldn't be too far away." She said rolling her eyes. "Yes Betty, Dr. Jane Foster has been called in for the project as well." Bruce said. Betty laughed. "What is S.H.I.E.L.D now? A rendezvous of freaks? Bruce you have to be careful out there. Can't believe that witch also works for S.H.I.E.L.D." She said referring to Jane Foster. "Betty don't say that. Dr. Jane Foster is one of the best and brilliant professionals in her field. Herself and Erik recently stopped another alien inversion in London. S.H.I.E.L.D is working with the best minds in the world today. So much is going on, that we can't afford not to have the very best on our side." He told her. She suddenly felt bad that her professional nemesis had been out doing important things like saving the world and she was here working as a lab attendant in an unrecognized Pathology Firm. "Bruce, you just said 'we'. You're one of them now aren't you?" She said calmly. "Yes Betty. I'm doing what I can to save the world. Join us Betty. Come on board. You and I can help these people, you know we can." He said. Betty laughed. "Have you forgotten so soon what they did to us? They ruined our lives Bruce! Your life! I can't. I can't have anything to do with them. I'm glad they are trying to save the world but how many lives have they destroyed in the process?" She asked. Bruce tried all evening to persuade her till she finally agreed to think about it. Bruce had explained to her how he had persuaded the Director Nick Fury to allow him come to Virginia to recruit her on to the team. He said he needed another intelligent gamma radiation specialist on board and the best person he knew for the job was Betty. Even after saying all that Betty still wasn't convinced. She did however promise him that she would think about it. When it was time for her to go home, Bruce offered to give her a ride. He had come in a very good looking black car. She directed him to her apartment while they talked in the car. Finally they arrived. He walked her up the stairs and she hugged him again. "Be careful Bruce." She told him looking deep into his eyes. "I don't know what you're doing with S.H.I.E.L.D but you have to be careful. You can't trust anyone." She told him. She didn't want to let him go. She didn't want to slip back into her loneliness and Bruce could see it in her eyes. He held her too. He didn't want to step over any personal boundaries. He didn't know if she had a boyfriend now or a lover. He had been out of her life for the past eighteen months and as much as he wanted her to work with him professionally he also wanted to have her as his intimate interest once again but he knew he couldn't just show up in one night and close the eighteen month gap that easily. As he was still thinking Betty kissed him. Familiar feelings of their happy times washed over him as he held her and kissed her back. When they pulled apart they could both tell that they wanted more. But Bruce pulled her away and said "Betty, I should go. I have an early flight back to New York tomorrow." He said. "Of course. She agreed." Suddenly feeling shy. They both said their goodbyes and he promised to keep in touch.

One week later Betty resigned from her job and was on a plane to New York. She didn't really trust anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D, but she knew she wanted to be with Bruce again. Helping him on this project would bring him happiness as much as it would make her happy. She convinced herself that she was doing it for him. Right now though, this big black man with one eye was interrogating her as if she was a spy working for her father. She was disgusted but answered all his questions calmly. "_I'm doing this for Bruce_," She thought, "_I'm doing this for Bruce_."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**THOR & JANE**

Jane finally got off the phone with Darcy. She knew Darcy would begin to suspect something if she stayed on a minute longer. Usually she was always busy, had no time to talk and always promised Darcy that she would call back. Every single time she had ended up breaking her promise. But today was different. As she sat in the car for ten minutes straight thinking about what was going to happen the minute she walked into her apartment, Darcy's call had come in. Excitedly she picked, thankful for the distraction. Ever since she had started to work for S.H.I.E.L.D and Darcy had moved back to New Mexico, she really hadn't had time to talk. Tonight though she was grateful for the call. The truth is she needed something to keep her busy and unavailable to Thor since his return. That was why she had plunged herself into her work the way she had.

It had been a whole six weeks now and every day she piled up excuses that would keep her at the office for lengthy hours simply because she didn't want to talk to him. She thought she would be excited by his return and she had in the beginning. But the uncertainty of his stay or departure was killing her inside. It had been two years the first time. If he left this time how many years would it be before he came back? Tonight, Darcy's call couldn't have come in at a much better time. Work had closed early so she found herself home by 7pm. She had run out of excuses to give Thor. She needed more distractions. She couldn't keep using work as an excuse. In fact Director Fury had personally called the S.H.I.E.L.D London Facility where she worked to request her immediate transfer to the New York Branch. Her transfer was scheduled for the next two weeks and as such she had been given the week off to prepare for her transfer. Jane didn't know what to do. She couldn't be at home alone with Thor for one week. Heck she couldn't be alone with him for one day! And her biggest fear was that he had started to notice her lies and excuses. As she pushed Darcy to keep talking on the phone, she got into her apartment, completely ignoring Thor who was in the study poring over what seemed like some of her old Astrophysics texts. She walked straight to her bedroom, dropped her purse on the nightstand and sat on the bed, cell phone still in hand. "How's your intern, Darce? Did you fire him yet?" Jane asked, trying to elongate the conversation. Darcy kept all her answers sweet, short and simple. And soon the conversation was over. She dropped her cell phone on the bed and began to stare into space. "_I can't keep living like this. Sooner or later, Thor is gonna notice what I'm doing to him._" She thought. As if on cue, Thor walked in.

"Jane", he said smiling. Jane sat up straight, startled. Then she smiled back. He was almost as tall as the doorpost and looked cute in his white shirt and blue track pants, his long hair falling over his shoulders. "I observed you were speaking with the Lady Darcy. How does she fare?" He asked her, joining her to sit on the bed. "Oh, she's good." Jane said, instinctively standing up, pretending she wanted to get something from the wardrobe. "You know Darcy. There's always something fun going on in her life." She said trying to fake a laugh. Thor was quiet. He looked down at the ground. He had so much to say to her. So much he wanted to share with her. But she was scared and he knew it. He could sense it. He had never complained when she gave him all those excuses. He pretended he didn't know what she was doing. But he couldn't blame her. Jane didn't want to be hurt again. He understood. But he didn't exactly know how else to tell her that he wasn't going anywhere this time. Not if he could help it. He had vowed to protect Midgard and its people. And this very important decision was made because of her. Suddenly he looked up. "Jane, I would like us to have a talk." He said. Jane stopped in her tracks, her back still to him. She felt her heart beat escalate several times. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. Thor had caught her and now she had to face the music. She slowly whirled around, her face white with trepidation. He laughed when he saw her face. Slowly he stood up, walked over to where she was standing and took her hand. He led her to the bathroom where she noticed he had drawn a bubble bath and lit candles surrounding her huge bathtub.

"I will give you a bath tonight, Jane Foster. You have been at the place of work too long and you are overly stressed." He said, beginning to strip her of her clothes. Jane was quiet. She didn't understand what was going on. But she didn't say a word. Thor hadn't seen her naked ever. They had never shared any intimate moments apart from a few kisses here and there, mostly because she was scared of the mighty god of Thunder and her feelings for him. In all six weeks of his stay on Earth, whenever he tried to go further than just a kiss, Jane would wriggle away from him with one of her elaborately constructed excuses. Thor understood and never pushed. He knew what Jane was scared of and he knew that to win her trust again he had to be the perfect gentleman. Not the arrogant war loving Prince all of Asgard had once known him to be. So he had waited patiently. Different thoughts were going on in Jane's mind. Thor had never insisted on going beyond any personal lines she had drawn. All of a sudden he wanted to undress her? The water looked inviting though and as she secretly thanked God in her heart that she had worn a sexy matching pair of Victoria's Secret underwear, Thor all of a sudden began to take off his clothes as well_. This is getting interesting_, she thought. She was shy. This was not how she had envisioned their first sexual encounter. She scolded herself inwardly, "_It's just a bath Jane. Who said anything about sex?_" As he took off his clothes, she couldn't help ogling him. "_Those arms, that torso, those thighs, those faraway blue eyes and oh my goodness! Are all the men on Asgard this huge between their legs? Anyway they're not men. They're gods._"

Thor could feel her appreciating his good looks. He was used to the effect his body had on women. But Jane Foster was no ordinary woman. She was the woman that changed his life. The woman he would give up the throne of Asgard and all the nine realms for. The woman he loved with all his heart. And the woman at this very moment who was terrified of him. Terrified of her feelings for him. He had to change all that tonight. He stepped into the tub and held his hand out to her. She was shy and self-conscious but she slipped out of her Victoria's Secret underwear, took his hand and joined him in the tub. She sat on him, her back to him and relaxed in the water. She could get used to this. The water was warm and invigorating and she already felt herself letting go. This was the weirdest thing that had happened since Thor came back but she felt so good, so safe and so warm with him, naked and unashamed. Thor held her gently with his strong arms from behind her, occasionally stroking her back. Then she remembered and opened her eyes. "Thor, what did you want us to talk about earlier?" She asked. "Ssshhh. Do not speak my lady. The opportunity to for us to talk will present itself soon enough. For now, please relax." He said. Jane gulped, but didn't say another word. They were both quiet for what seemed to be an eternity. Then she asked him. "What did you do today?" He smiled. He had been wanting to tell her all about his day. "The Man of Iron has asked me to come over to New York. He says it has something to do with a research he wants to conduct with S.H.I.E.L.D fusing Mjolnir, the Shield of Captain America, and the substance in his heart that kept him alive to create a super weapon. He says your Director Fury would be in touch with me soon as well. This new super weapon S.H.I.E.L.D is creating is to defend Midgard against powers such as the Tessaract and the Aether. In fact I believe your Director Fury is moving you to New York for this purpose as well. The Man of Iron said the Doctor Banner and a Lady Betty are all in New York waiting for us both to arrive in order to commence the research." He said. She jumped at the sound of Betty.

"Betty? Betty Ross?" Jane asked Thor. "I believe that to be the name of the Lady he mentioned, yes." Thor said. Jane frowned. "That little bitch! Her daddy dearest must have somehow snuck her into S.H.I.E.L.D. Why can't I seem to get rid of my old hang ups?" She asked. Thor was confused. "You do not seem too fond of the lady." Thor said questioningly. "Oh she's no lady!" Jane said, pouting. She then went on to explain to Thor how herself and Betty Ross had attended the same high school and University always seemingly competing against one another. Jane shared her suspicions that Betty only excelled because her father was a well-known and influential General in the army who always worked on top secret government projects and was rumoured to be very close to the powers that be in the Government at the time. Jane had no influence to rely on, only her intelligence and desire to excel. Betty on the other hand had her father. After their first degrees, Betty had been whisked off to Harvard for a Master's Degree in Bio informatics and Cellular Biology and later got her PhD in Biomedical Technology. She on the other hand had pursued hers in Meteorology and Particle Physics before she obtained her own PhD in Astrophysics. The two ladies had then got jobs in Culver University where Betty had started to date Dr. Banner, a colleague and friend of her mentor Professor Erik Selvig who was a Professor of Theoretical Thermonuclear Astrophysics at the time. The last she had heard of Betty was that there had been an accident involving gamma radiation and no one had heard from Betty since. "Well Jane, you must let go of childhood rivalries. If she is to work with us on this new super weapon then we are all to join forces to help protect Midgard. I do not want what happened to you during the Convergence to ever repeat itself again." He said. Jane knew he was right. She relaxed and shut her eyes again. Her mind drifted to the events of the past six weeks. If she had never started to look for him, she would have never gone through all she went through so technically it was his fault.

But then how could she blame Thor? She started to scold herself for treating him so terribly the past few weeks. He did say the Bifrost was destroyed didn't he? By the way how could she expect so much from the Crown Prince of Asgard? The mighty Thor, god of Thunder? He felt her unease and kissed her shoulder, trailing his kisses up her neck. He tightened his grip on her and kissed her back from behind her. She let out a soft moan urging him to continue. He ran his hand through her hair and began to massage her shoulders and her back. She purred and called his name softly, "Thor", through closed eyes. He was accomplishing his mission. He needed her to relax.

Jane was amazed. She knew she loved Thor. She just didn't think that he could make her want him this much. Right now she didn't just want him. She needed him. The way he touched and stroked her; she had never wanted anyone this much before. She suddenly turned to him, looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and kissed him. Thor kissed Jane right back. He pulled her to him and she could feel his need for her rising from underneath her. They both hadn't realized how much they needed each other. She had been running away from him, immersing herself in her work and all he wanted was to be with his Lady Jane. Thor suddenly lifted her from the tub. He did it as effortlessly as one would lift a piece of bread. She was still clasped on him, her legs wound around his waist, his arms lifting her from underneath. They were kissing passionately and Jane didn't realize they were back in her bedroom and Thor had laid her on the bed, their bodies wet with chamomile and lavender scented water.

Thor kissed Jane deeply, his fingers trailing over her entire body; her breasts, her thighs, her back and her neck. He was taking it easy and taking his time. As he hovered over her, she seemed so small and delicate, he didn't want to hurt her. Jane was holding on to him with feverish fingers. She couldn't believe at this very moment that the man that loved her and was in her bed was the God of Thunder and an Asgardian Prince. It all seemed so surreal, like she was in a comic book or something. Suddenly she looked up at him with pleading eyes. She wanted him now. She just didn't know how to voice her desire. Thor understood. But he lingered and it frustrated her even more. _He's such a horrible tease_, Jane thought as Thor continued to make her want him even more. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him close, her lips close to his ear. "Take me Thor. Please take me now." She whispered. Thor felt an unseen energy surge through him. To have the woman you love plead for you to make love to her, it was an experience like no other. He was hungry for her and kissed her ravenously. With his leg, he parted her thighs and lifted her right leg with his arm. And with his other hand, he stroked her down below. She purred with passion as he touched her. She was wet and ready for him. He kissed her and drew closer to her with his hardness. Thor knew he was well endowed and eased into her gently. It was a tight fit even though she was so ready but Jane gasped, moaned and trembled as he entered her.

Thor tried to be gentle but Jane was mad with passion positioning herself in seductive ways that she was sure Thor would not be able to resist. Thor was an amazing lover and he had many tricks up his sleeves. With each new trick he revealed, Jane squealed in delight, calling his name again and again which just drove him to such madness. He was so in love with this woman, this perfect being before him. Jane had never experienced love making this sensational. Thor was gentle and strong at the same time. It amazed her. Suddenly she felt it. She was close to her climax and grabbed on to Thor like her life depended on it. Thor knew her timing exactly and drove into her wildly and passionately till they both collapsed into a world of lights and stars that Jane was sure she had never experienced before. Jane had completely blown his mind. Prior to this night he had no idea that someone so small and so delicate could be full of such crude and primal energy. She looked into his eyes panting, as she held him. Thor was looking at her too trying to read the expression in her eyes. Had she enjoyed him? Was she satisfied? Did he hurt her? Unknown to her tears had begun to fall from her eyes. Before she knew it she was sobbing heavily, her hands over her eyes, the tears running down her cheeks now. Thor was confused. Definitely he had hurt her.

"My lady. Jane! Oh Jane. I am sorry. Please forgive me. I meant you no harm." He said getting closer to her and holding her. She wriggled out of his embrace. "Leave me alone Thor! Don't touch me." She said. Thor was surprised. Surely he hadn't hurt her that badly. He felt she was having a good time. "Forgive me Jane. I allowed myself to get carried away by my urges, my Jane. I apologize." He said. She kept crying. Her tears were like sharp arrows pricking his heart. He was confused. He wanted to hold her but she wouldn't let him. She suddenly looked up at him.

"Why did you come back here Thor? Why? Why didn't you just stay on Asgard and become King and marry Sif? Why do you have to take me on this emotional roller coaster? My heart is not your yoyo Thor. You can't do this to me! I'm not strong enough for this! Can't you see? You come back into my life two whole years after you left the first time. You sweep me off my feet then you make love to me like you'll never leave me again. Like you belong to me. But we both know that you don't and soon you will be gone again!" She half screamed, half shrieked and resumed crying. Thor was quiet. She had spilled out the thoughts she had been keeping from him for the last six weeks. Finally he knew what had been eating her up all this while. He had only just wanted her to admit it. He held her and this time she let him. She lay her head on his broad shoulder as he wiped her tears away. "Jane I am so sorry. I came back to Earth for no other reason but because I love you and I mean to protect your world. I am in love with you Jane Foster and if you will have me I want to belong to you. I do not wish to go anywhere. I already explained this to you Jane. You must believe me. Please. I couldn't take up the throne. Not without you. As for the Lady Sif and I… Well, let us just say we are like brother and sister. I know she has had feelings for me in the past but I could never look at her that way. I swear upon my weapon of war, Mjolnir!" He said as he held her. She stopped crying and held him too. She loved this man, maybe a little more than she was supposed to. _What have I gotten myself into?_ She thought.

"Jane I must ask you." He said. She looked up at him. "Is this the reason why you have distanced yourself from me these past few weeks? Or might there be another reason? Another man in your life perhaps? This Richard of a man? The one who has been seeking your company?" He asked seriously. Jane couldn't help but laugh. "Thor, Richard and I never got down to anything. He liked me but I was too broken for him to deal with. Thanks to you." She said suddenly looking down. "And yes this is the reason I kept away from you." She said ashamed of herself. "I was just so scared that you were gonna go back to Asgard and I'll never get to see you again." Thor held her close and she shut her eyes, lingering in his embrace.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I'm soooo sorry for the delay in updating stories. Hope you enjoy this one. As always your reviews are highly appreciated.**

Chapter 4

**CLINT & NATASHA**

Natasha was deeply worried. Director Fury had recently been sending her on more and more solo missions and it worried her. She knew why he wasn't involving Clint Barton, her partner as much. After Loki's New York invasion, things had changed drastically. Nick Fury had become more paranoid than he usually was and harboured deeper secrets than he usually would. She tried not to make any of it her business. She tried to remain focused on her job. But she couldn't. The Russian spy in her who wanted to be in control of everything or at least who wanted to know everything that was going on around her kept her extremely restless. Natasha tried not ask too many questions but that didn't stop her from trying to discover things for herself. It was bad enough that Director Fury kept her stationed as Pepper Potts' faux personal assistant to keep Tony Stark in check; pulling her out only on select top secret missions. She was irritated by the fact that she was Tony Stark's glorified babysitter and she genuinely believed that intercepting the secrets at Stark Industries was not a big enough challenge for her. She wanted more. But much more than that, she wanted to go back on missions with Clint. She really missed him. Things hadn't been the same at S.H.I.E.L.D since he had been shipped off to Eastern Europe to undergo a series of psychological evaluations after Loki had taken over his mind. Fury thought she didn't know where he was. But she had found out just two days after he had left. She was worried about Clint; would he eventually get his mind back? Would there be a more permanent damage to his mind? No one seemed to know. No one knew how it felt for an extra-terrestrial intergalactic psycho like Loki to take over your mind for days. No one except the Physicist, Dr. Erik Selvig.

Dr. Selvig had also been pruned and prodded by Fury's top notch psychiatrists and mind specialists and had returned barely two weeks ago, having been given an all clear. This was after the alien inversion in London where he helped Jane Foster and Thor defeat the Dark Elves. So far he seemed fine. Nothing seemed out of place. The only thing Natasha noticed when he resumed work at S.H.I.E.L.D was that he was extremely secretive about the entire restoration process and never liked to discuss Thor, Jane or even Loki. Natasha was curious however. Why hadn't Clint been reinstated for active duty? Did Fury have him working on other projects that she wasn't aware of? If Dr. Selvig is fine, Clint should be fine, shouldn't he? These days Director Fury trusted no one. And only she and a few Level 8 and Level 9 knew about Project Insight which he had begun working on soon after the New York invasion. Recently Fury had her working more with Steve Rogers otherwise known as "Captain" around the Head Quarters. He really was a good guy, extremely diligent, thorough and effective, but a tad old fashioned. He always played by the book and Natasha wasn't used to working with a boy scout. She was used to rogues and assassins and prisoners and Clint. She was used to Clint. She had done her part on trying to rehabilitate the Captain but between babysitting him, Tony Stark and Tony Stark's girlfriend, Pepper Potts' she was slowly beginning to lose her mind.

Her mind set changed one day though, after she discovered that there were a group of people at S.H.I.E.L.D who might have been compromised. She waited before taking it up with Director Fury. But she wished that Clint were here. He would be the first person she would have taken her concerns to. She began to investigate on her own and discovered that while they were all preparing to fend off future extra-terrestrial attacks, the real enemy was right there within them. She knew at this point that she could trust no one. But what frightened her was that Clint was not safe where he was. For all she knew he could be in the very midst of the opposition unguarded and unsafe. She decided she had to take a trip out to see him. It would obviously be without the Director Fury's knowledge but then she wondered if anything got past the old spy. Natasha sometimes believed that Fury was the all seeing eye God placed in the world to help him do his work, thereby giving him omniscient abilities. This however was something she believed she had to do. Clint had saved her life more than once and right now curiosity was killing her whether he was safe where he was or in danger. Natasha knew she had to leave and return before the commencement of Operation **ENDGAME**. Fury had her as his liaison on the project and as a result she couldn't be away too long because the project launch was less than three weeks away. The Operation **ENDGAME **involved bringing in all the members of The Avengers to work on a super weapon that would protect and even prevent another intergalactic invasion. Natasha's job was to assemble the Avengers in Tony Stark's New York based Stark Tower, which Tony Stark and Nick Fury had worked tirelessly equipping for the specific purpose. Fury trusted no one at HQ and he made sure no one but Natasha was aware of the upcoming Project. As she arrived at her apartment that night after a tiring day at The Stark Tower, she saw that a message had come in. The Director Fury wanted her to report to HQ first thing the next morning.

Dressed in all black from head to toe, Natasha walked into the elevator heading up to Nick Fury's office. She was eager to report to him her suspicions about the happenings within S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury took one look at her and said firmly. "Take a seat, Agent Romanoff." She sat down and looked around. "Is it safe to talk here sir?" She asked. "As matter of fact it is. I have a very top secret mission for you." He said. Natasha sat up straight. "You are going to Hungary in two days, to retrieve Agent Barton." He said. "Retrieve?" She asked, concerned. "Sir I thought Agent Barton was undergoing psychological therapy and evaluation after his incident with Loki. Why do I have to retrieve him?" She asked trying hard not to let her anxiety show, as she brushed off a ginger coloured curl away from her cheek. The Director had finally confirmed her suspicions about Clint's safety but she needed to know more about the entire situation from him. Director Fury looked down. "Agent Barton was sent to a Psychiatric Hospital and Facility in Hungary right after Dr. Erik Selvig was discharged. Now we have reason to believe that the management in charge of the hospital is a covert group of Eastern European Paramilitary Intelligence gone rogue. The Hospital facility is only just one of the numerous cover up institutions they use to carry out their secret operations. They own several other companies, banks, schools and intelligence outfits. The entire Police force of several eastern European countries have been compromised. We believe they intend to commence operations in Canada and The United States. When we got this information, we sent in Barton to get more info on them. The problem is, Barton was discovered and has been taken hostage." He said. Natasha was on her feet in an instant. "Sir! With all due respect I should have been the one sent on this mission. Agent Barton had the insides of his head taken over by an alien force. He wasn't ready for a mission like this." She said. Nick Fury could see the heat in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me sir? You know I was ready. I'm always ready. There's too many secrets here at S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm beginning to lose track of what is a secret and what isn't. There's nothing going on at the Stark Tower right now. And Operation **ENDGAME** isn't taking off for at least three weeks. Clint wasn't ready. He wasn't ready." Her voice trailed off. She suddenly realized she had just let her feelings show to her boss as regards her partner, Clint. Nick Fury smiled. "Don't let your emotions get the best of you Agent Romanoff. I know how you feel about Hawkeye. I know how his getting compromised by Loki affected you. I saw it. You care deeply about him. It may not be obvious to everyone else but it is to me. If I didn't trust your ability to unhinge yourself from a mission emotionally I wouldn't be sending you to Hungary. But I trust you. So you will go." The Director told her. She cleared her throat and looked down at her hands. She realized she was trembling. "Thank you sir." She told him, as she turned around to leave. "And Agent Romanoff?" Director Fury said. "Yes sir." She said turning around to face him, reluctantly. "I'll pretend we never had this conversation. For your sake." He told her. "Thank you sir." She said and walked out.

The two days before Natasha left for Hungary were the worst. She fell seriously ill with a bad fever which seemed to worsen at night. Every night she woke up screaming. She was used to the nightmares but they seemed to be worsening. The night before the trip had been the worst ever. In this particular nightmare Clint was being slaughtered with a chainsaw and she was helpless in rescuing him because his captors had chained her to a huge metal bar hanging from a cliff. She woke up screaming before realizing it was a nightmare. As she tried to calm herself she realized she was crying. She felt her head. She was burning up. The fever consumed her and beads of perspiration trickled down her flimsy nightie. She struggled to get out of bed and trudged down to the kitchen heading straight to the huge freezer compartment where she stored her best bottles of vodka. Slowly she grabbed the nearest bottle and ran it over her head and neck before opening it and gulping its contents down. She spoke to herself in Russian. "It's alright Natasha. It's alright." She told herself. "I'm Russian. I'm tough. Everything will be alright. I'm Russian. I'm tough." Then she started to sing an old Russian nursery rhyme continuously forcing the contents of the vodka bottle down her throat. Slowly she looked at the bottle and realized she had drank it all. She smiled to herself and then fainted.

A faraway voice was calling her name. "Natasha! Natasha! Tash!" It sounded like Clint. Oh but it couldn't be. _Clint is in Hungary. And I have to go save him_, she thought. She willed herself to open her eyes. Her head hurt as she tried harder to open her eyes. "Gotta save Clint." She said before her eyes fell open. Everything was blurry. The entire room was white. The strong odour of medication filled the air and she realized she was in a hospital. "Gotta save Clint." She said again.

"Tash! I'm right here. I saved you. You don't have to save me." Clint said, smiling. He took her hand and stroked her ginger hair. "Am I in a nightmare? Hawk is this really you? Are, are you a dream?" She asked looking around. She realized she was on a hospital bed connected to cables and wires intravenously feeding her with colourless liquids. "Ssshhh!" He said, smiling at her. "It's me Tash. I'm back. I saved you." He said. "How? How did you? We were supposed to come save you. Fury told me we were supposed to come -" her voice trailed off. "It's okay. I'm back now. I'm right here with you. You're gonna be alright." He told her. She couldn't believe it. She felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes again. She didn't know if she was dreaming or not but he looked like Clint and he sounded like Clint and he was holding her hands and telling her that everything was going to be alright. She didn't want him to see her cry. It was against her training but then this was Clint. The man who had seen her in her worst pitfalls and supported her. The man who had been on countless missions with her and saved her life again and again. The man who knew her past, experienced countless of her nightmare filled sleepless nights and trusted her with his own life several times. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Before long she was sobbing quietly. "I'm a trained killer Clint. I really don't care what missions you have to go on in future. But if you go and you don't tell me and you get yourself into trouble again, I'll find you and I'll kill you." She said. Clint laughed. "That's my girl." He said, wiping a tear from her cheek. She held his hand to her face and sniffed in his familiar scent. "I don't know what I'll do if anything ever happened to you. I almost challenged Fury. I was so mad when he told me he had sent you there all alone." She said. "Tash I'm back and I'm fine. Fury only does what is extremely necessary every time." He said suddenly keeping a straight face. "But how did you?" She asked him. "I escaped. They brought me back to the US as a bargaining tool for top secret plans within S.H.I.E.L.D but I escaped. Even Fury didn't know what their plans were at the time. The deal was supposed to go down last week. Your apartment was the safest place to go without being discovered. I found you passed out in a pool of your very expensive vodka and you were burning up. You had been out for about five hours. Of course it was too risky to involve anyone without being discovered. So I contacted Agent Hill. And I brought you here. She informed Fury and he asked me to come in to HQ. But I told him I wouldn't leave your side till you woke up. And I wouldn't trust anyone with you." He said looking away. She squeezed his hand. "How long have I been in here?" She asked. "Five days." He told her. Suddenly he looked at her. "Tash what the hell were you thinking? I've always warned you. You get sick and you go straight to medical. You don't drink vodka and sing yourself to sleep in Russian. You're human just like the rest of us and you gotta look out for yourself. Damn Nat! You were really ill. The doctors said you had a bad kidney infection. And the vodka didn't help either! If I didn't come in when I did…" His voice trailed off. She smiled and held his hand. "I missed you." She told him. "I missed you too Tash. You've been a bad girl. We got you outta Russia alright but we just can't figure out a way to get Russia outta you." He said. She smiled, grateful that her partner was back. "Now hurry and get better. **ENDGAME **starts in a few days." He told her.

**Always felt that Natasha should be a bad ass but decided at the end of the day to create an emotional side to her. Tell me what you think about the soft hearted Natasha. Thanks…**


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